I have a 32' Bavaria 960 sailboat built in 1985. My husband and I bought "Wishful Thinking" a year ago. This is our first sailboat with a bolted keel. Our boat is moored in Boston Massachusetts. A couple of years ago we had a year with mussels and other crud growing on the prop/sail-drive. This seems to be another year with heavy growth. Despite having painted anti-foul paint and a spay paint to the prop/sail-drive. By the way the boat is handling I suspect that something is growing on the sail-drive. I'd like to careen the bottom of the boat, but I question if allowing the boat to sit on its keel is prudent?

You cannot "careen" a fin keel yacht in the traditional sense of the word. If there is a club with a careening rack in your area, where you can side-tie and secure the yacht fore'n aft to hold her in place while the tide runs out you might be able to do it but I think that would be very unwise. The diver suggestion, above, or buying a lightweight wet suit and diving the boat yourself, would be a much better solution. A monthly diving service to maintain your bottom and running gear is not very costly and should be considered as a matter of routine maintenance.

__________________"It is not so much for its beauty that the sea makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air, that emanation from the waves, that so wonderfully renews a weary spirit."

However, I have seen plenty of boats careened, especially up in your area. With fin keels, too.

Some folks think of careening only as tying alongside a wharf with a big tide range, stabilizing/bracing the boat, and letting the tide go out. The boat stays upright. That's one way, that you see sometimes see up in Maine/Nova Scotia/England, etc.

Another way to careen is on a protected beachhead, where the boat leans over as the tide runs out. The key here is to find a sheltered location with a steep drop-off from the beach, and to position the boat along that drop off so the keel has more depth than the hull as it leans.

I admit that I have never done it myself, but I have seen it done many many times in various places along the South Shore (between Boston & Cape). I would careen our bolted-on fin keel, if necessary. But I know that ours was designed for this, too. I do not know the design of your keel, so maybe ask your builder what they think?

All that said, I would still just dive for your issue. If you do it yourself, be sure to wear some kind of gloves to protect your hands form barnacle/muscle cuts while scraping.

This seems to be another year with heavy growth. Despite having painted anti-foul paint and a spay paint to the prop/sail-drive. By the way the boat is handling I suspect that something is growing on the sail-drive.

Anti fouling paint does not eliminate growth, merely retards it. Further, anti fouling paint has a lifespan and you can usually figure that after 2 or 3 years, it is ready to be repainted.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailingfool

Hire a diver to service you saildrive, or get a mask and snorkel and do it yourself...

+1

Why go to the trouble and risk of careening to simply clean the bottom and running gear? A diver can do it while the boat is in her slip. You don't even have to be present.

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